Mike Verespej from Plastic News reports Repet Inc, a plastic recycling company, has invested millions to add two new wash lines that will boost its production capacity for recycled PET flake. In the process, staff will increased from 80 to 180 by the end of 2012.

The 3-year-old company began operating the two new wash lines at the end of August, according to Art Davis, RePET's Sales manager, who said: "We have the know-how to produce clean flake. We want to keep recycled PET and jobs in the United States. We want to give PET a new life."

Repet intends to sell to packaging giants such as Amcor Ltd. for use in food packaging such as strawberry and apple trays and clear egg cartons, and to beverage manufacturers such as Coca-Cola Co. for use in bottle preforms.

"We want to move to making food-grade PET for bottle-to-bottle," Davis said. In its first two years of operation, Repet has sold roughly 40 million pounds of PET flake, much of it to thermoformers.

Since 2007, California has encouraged California-based manufacturers of products and packaging to utilize recycled plastic in-state, from companies such as RePET, through the Plastic Market Development Program. By keeping the plastics recycling market in state, we reduce pollution and waste, and increase jobs and economic opportunity in California. Last year, Governor Brown signed AB 1149 (Gordon), which updated and renewed this program.